KDDI will launch αU, a metaverse and Web3 service, to realize a world where anyone can become a creator and to support the new generation of users who effortlessly move between the real and virtual worlds.
αU provides services for the Web3 era, including the metaverse, live streaming, and virtual shopping. This service eliminates the boundary between the real and virtual worlds, allowing users to enjoy everyday experiences such as attending live music performances, enjoying art, having conversations with friends, and shopping―anytime, anywhere. Furthermore, in collaboration with domestic and international partners, we will provide support introducing Japanese creators and content to the world. KDDI will build a creator economy in which creators can produce value and be compensated for their work.
- Background
KDDI launched Virtual Shibuya, an urban-linked metaverse, in May 2020, and Digital Twin Shibuya, which links real and virtual spaces, in October 2022 as part of its continuous initiatives to expand urban experiences by utilizing 5G communications and AR/MR technologies. For the past three years, Virtual Shibuya has offered a new form of entertainment enabled by technology, such as live music performances from artists, talk shows featuring anime and manga characters, and other urban-linked experiences that are anchored in a virtual space.αU will evolve from a traditional public space for experience to a space for communication.
- Services provided with αU
We provide αU metaverse where users can enjoy entertainment and conversations with friends in the metaverse, αU live that features high-definition, 360-degree free view live music performances, αU market offering digital artworks for sale, αU wallet that allow users to manage their crypto assets, and αU place that lets users shop at virtual stores linked with physical stores. We will continue to expand our Web3 services with αU at the core.We will be holding αU Spring Week 2023 from March 8 to 12, 2023 in Shibuya, Tokyo. In this free event, visitors can experience all the services described above, including solo exhibitions and live performances from a variety of artists.
